New software combines real-time data from several human resource, budget and procurement repositories. Customized, predecisional reports are just a few clicks away for select managers.
Meet the people who can lend their expertise to your state agency when you need it.
New software combines real-time data from several human resource, budget and procurement repositories. Customized, predecisional reports are just a few clicks away for select managers.
Meet the people who can lend their expertise to your state agency when you need it.
Performance Reports Annual reports show taxpayers how their money is being spent.
Financial Reports The commonwealth provides a wide array of information with regard to how it spends taxpayer funds.
State Contracts Starting last year, public contracts are available for inspection online through a database managed by the Treasury Department.
Performance Reports Annual reports show taxpayers how their money is being spent.
Financial Reports The commonwealth provides a wide array of information with regard to how it spends taxpayer funds.
State Contracts Starting last year, public contracts are available for inspection online through a database managed by the Treasury Department.
Capitol Campus Fiber Network
Productivity Bank Project
The Office of Strategic Services oversees the Productivity Bank, which is a $25 million revolving loan fund that is designed to finance innovative cost-saving or revenue-generating projects for which no appropriated funds are available. Our office helps agencies complete loan applications that are then submitted to a cabinet-level evaluation board for an approval decision. In January 2007, the Office for Information Technology requested Productivity Bank funding for the construction of the Capitol Campus Fiber Network. This project would reduce planned downtime and increase capacity four-fold, while eliminating the need to make lease payments to a third-party vendor. During a thorough evaluation period, we worked with the applicant to verify that the Fiber Network plan was sound, and to confirm that the savings would be sufficient to allow for the loan to be repaid in five or fewer years. Based upon our positive recommendation, the application was approved. Construction of the Fiber Network is now under way, and, upon completion, is expected to result in annual savings of $3.3 million.
Department of Transportation
Office of Aviation and Rail Freight
In May 2008, PennDOT’s Office of Aviation and Rail Freight asked for our help in developing a three-year strategic plan. By managing meetings and conducting a session of all 36 Aviation and Rail Freight employees, we helped the leadership team develop a consistent vision for the office, including its mission, goals, and strategies. We then guided the individual staff members through the process of defining the objectives, measures, and action steps for their own work. As a part of this process, we also updated the office’s vision and mission statements, to bring them into alignment with the priorities identified by the executive staff for the agency as a whole. At the conclusion of the project, we submitted a report that presented the key concepts of the strategic plan. The entire group accepted these basic elements, with the understanding that such a plan must be treated as a living document that is continuously updated and refined. Based upon prevailing private sector hourly rates, the cost of these services from an outside vendor would have exceeded $30,000
"Excellent service was provided by well-trained commonwealth employees that understand the challenges of working in a public environment with increasing demands and a talented, however, constricted workforce.”
Eric Madden
Deputy Secretary for Aviation and Rail Freight
Department of Transportation
In 2005, the Initiative Compliance Committee (ICC) – a cabinet-level oversight group – asked us to undertake a comprehensive review of the state's travel program. We returned a few months later with a series of specific findings and recommendations, which focused on weaknesses in our travel policies and contracts, and the lack of coordination among agencies. In the wake of these findings, we worked with the Comptroller’s Office to update the state’s travel guidelines to reflect more current practices and market conditions. We replaced the state’s travel booking services contract, which cut the commonwealth’s fees in half. Our office also established a mechanism to provide agencies’ chief administrators with consolidated reports on travel patterns and expenditures – an improvement in visibility which helped agencies to identify additional opportunities for savings. To prevent travel from being neglected in the future, we drafted the Management Directive that established the Commonwealth Office of Travel Operations (COTO). As an initial order of business, COTO saved agencies money by negotiating preferred vendor agreements for car rentals and hotel stays. The new travel office is also working to replace hotel orders with agency lodging cards, in an effort to eliminate unnecessary paperwork. COTO is currently engaged in combining the state’s two largest contracts for travel services, which will greatly simplify the process that employees must follow when arranging trips. Another benefit of the new system is that it will provide agencies with improved reports on travel patterns and expenditures.
“The commonwealth is beginning to obtain more competitive rates by leveraging its travel volume. COTO is a major reason why.”
David Kessler
Acting Director
Bureau of Commonwealth Payroll Operations
Department of Environmental Protection
Office of Policy & Communications and the Bureau of Information Technology
When the Department of Environmental Protection decided to transition to Aqualogic (the commonwealth’s new Web site standard), they turned to us for help in planning the migration. DEP’s Office of Policy and Communications was responsible for the content of the agency’s Web site, while the Bureau of Information Technology was charged with addressing the technical aspects of the project. The agency’s online presence is significant; three of DEP’s IT staff are primarily dedicated to maintaining and updating the 70,000 pages and documents that can be accessed though the Web site. These three staffers are in turn supported by more than 100 other DEP employees who regularly review and update the site’s content. Over the course of a four-month engagement, we helped the technical staff and the content managers develop a project plan that identified the necessary resources, catalogued the potential risks and defined the key milestones necessary to ensure that DEP would meet its December 2009 deadline.
"The PA Department of Environmental Protection greatly appreciates the assistance, time and guidance the Office of Strategic Services continues to provide as we embark on the redesign and implementation of a new agency Web site. The OSS staff's knowledge of the process, as well as their patience and professionalism will result in a superior product that our agency will be proud of."
Neil Weaver, Director of Communications
Department of Environmental Protection
Capitol Campus Fiber Network
Productivity Bank Project
The Office of Strategic Services oversees the Productivity Bank, which is a $25 million revolving loan fund that is designed to finance innovative cost-saving or revenue-generating projects for which no appropriated funds are available. Our office helps agencies complete loan applications that are then submitted to a cabinet-level evaluation board for an approval decision. In January 2007, the Office for Information Technology requested Productivity Bank funding for the construction of the Capitol Campus Fiber Network. This project would reduce planned downtime and increase capacity four-fold, while eliminating the need to make lease payments to a third-party vendor. During a thorough evaluation period, we worked with the applicant to verify that the Fiber Network plan was sound, and to confirm that the savings would be sufficient to allow for the loan to be repaid in five or fewer years. Based upon our positive recommendation, the application was approved. Construction of the Fiber Network is now under way, and, upon completion, is expected to result in annual savings of $3.3 million.
Department of Transportation
Office of Aviation and Rail Freight
In May 2008, PennDOT’s Office of Aviation and Rail Freight asked for our help in developing a three-year strategic plan. By managing meetings and conducting a session of all 36 Aviation and Rail Freight employees, we helped the leadership team develop a consistent vision for the office, including its mission, goals, and strategies. We then guided the individual staff members through the process of defining the objectives, measures, and action steps for their own work. As a part of this process, we also updated the office’s vision and mission statements, to bring them into alignment with the priorities identified by the executive staff for the agency as a whole. At the conclusion of the project, we submitted a report that presented the key concepts of the strategic plan. The entire group accepted these basic elements, with the understanding that such a plan must be treated as a living document that is continuously updated and refined. Based upon prevailing private sector hourly rates, the cost of these services from an outside vendor would have exceeded $30,000
"Excellent service was provided by well-trained commonwealth employees that understand the challenges of working in a public environment with increasing demands and a talented, however, constricted workforce.”
Eric Madden
Deputy Secretary for Aviation and Rail Freight
Department of Transportation
In 2005, the Initiative Compliance Committee (ICC) – a cabinet-level oversight group – asked us to undertake a comprehensive review of the state's travel program. We returned a few months later with a series of specific findings and recommendations, which focused on weaknesses in our travel policies and contracts, and the lack of coordination among agencies. In the wake of these findings, we worked with the Comptroller’s Office to update the state’s travel guidelines to reflect more current practices and market conditions. We replaced the state’s travel booking services contract, which cut the commonwealth’s fees in half. Our office also established a mechanism to provide agencies’ chief administrators with consolidated reports on travel patterns and expenditures – an improvement in visibility which helped agencies to identify additional opportunities for savings. To prevent travel from being neglected in the future, we drafted the Management Directive that established the Commonwealth Office of Travel Operations (COTO). As an initial order of business, COTO saved agencies money by negotiating preferred vendor agreements for car rentals and hotel stays. The new travel office is also working to replace hotel orders with agency lodging cards, in an effort to eliminate unnecessary paperwork. COTO is currently engaged in combining the state’s two largest contracts for travel services, which will greatly simplify the process that employees must follow when arranging trips. Another benefit of the new system is that it will provide agencies with improved reports on travel patterns and expenditures.
“The commonwealth is beginning to obtain more competitive rates by leveraging its travel volume. COTO is a major reason why.”
David Kessler
Acting Director
Bureau of Commonwealth Payroll Operations
Department of Environmental Protection
Office of Policy & Communications and the Bureau of Information Technology
When the Department of Environmental Protection decided to transition to Aqualogic (the commonwealth’s new Web site standard), they turned to us for help in planning the migration. DEP’s Office of Policy and Communications was responsible for the content of the agency’s Web site, while the Bureau of Information Technology was charged with addressing the technical aspects of the project. The agency’s online presence is significant; three of DEP’s IT staff are primarily dedicated to maintaining and updating the 70,000 pages and documents that can be accessed though the Web site. These three staffers are in turn supported by more than 100 other DEP employees who regularly review and update the site’s content. Over the course of a four-month engagement, we helped the technical staff and the content managers develop a project plan that identified the necessary resources, catalogued the potential risks and defined the key milestones necessary to ensure that DEP would meet its December 2009 deadline.
"The PA Department of Environmental Protection greatly appreciates the assistance, time and guidance the Office of Strategic Services continues to provide as we embark on the redesign and implementation of a new agency Web site. The OSS staff's knowledge of the process, as well as their patience and professionalism will result in a superior product that our agency will be proud of."
Neil Weaver, Director of Communications
Department of Environmental Protection
